Right of Light Insurance

Whether you’re building a block of flats in a residential area, or a skyscraper in the city, our brokers have first-hand underwriting experience in legal indemnity insurance. Which makes Construction Insure the only place you’ll need to visit when it comes to Rights of Light Insurance.

Why do you need Right of Light Insurance?

When you’re developing a property, extending an existing home or undertaking a major building project, you want to create the most space you can in the area available. This means getting planning permission for optimising as much of the site as you can. It may mean building upwards with a loft extension, a mansard or extra floors on an apartment block. It may mean building outwards, with a ground floor and second floor house extension, or extending your new build as far as regulations will allow. You want to do as much as you can outside to create the maximum space for living or working inside the building. But, your entire project can be interrupted, disrupted or completely aborted by a contention that’s independent of the planning procedure: Right of Light.

For any property developer, potential Rights of Light claims aren’t something you can ignore. With the case law surrounding Rights of Light continually changing, a claim could halt a project, ruin your finances and destroy your valuable reputation.

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Need Insurance? Get in touch today!

Whatever your right of light insurance requirements, please get in touch today for a free no obligation quotation.

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU GET THE RIGHT OF LIGHT INSURANCE COVER?

What is Right of Light?

As you probably know, Right of Light means that properties over twenty years old, adjacent to, or close to, your construction have a right to maintain an adequate level of illumination through their windows. They have the right to the comfortable enjoyment of the areas and rooms of their property receiving that light. If your project’s scope reduces the light coming into their property, the owner may be able to prevent that part of your development proceeding. Or, if the structure has already been built, you could have to demolish and rebuild it, so it no longer affects their light. Which is why you need to be covered by Right of Light insurance.

Right of Light Protection

It will protect you from the legal and financial repercussions of a neighbouring building owner taking action against you for compromising their right of light. If legal action slows down your build, it could cost you money in missed deadlines and rearranging the schedules of trades and services. But if a court injunction meant you had to redesign your entire development, it could severely affect your profits and your professional reputation. At Construction Insure, our one job is to provide the right insurance to protect property developers and contractors like you. We’ve been doing it for forty years, so we know we can get you the cover you need.

How does Right of Light Insurance help you?

You may have thoroughly investigated the Right of Light aspects of your build prior to starting construction. You may have had a Light Report or even have spoken to the appropriate owners of neighbouring buildings regarding the issue. But, seeing the size and impact of your build in real life is very different to seeing it on a two-dimensional plan. It’s usually after your project is well underway that neighbours begin a Right of Light action against you. In effect, your neighbours can hold your project to ransom until the issue is resolved. One example is the stalemate over Chelsea Football Club’s planned £1 billion new stadium. Although Chelsea received planning permission, the construction is being challenged by the family in a neighbouring property over the Right of Light issue. The Crossthwaite family contend that the new stadium will cast a shadow over their home, which, in their words, is “unacceptable and harmful’ and that “sunlight and daylight will be seriously affected.” Until this dispute is resolved, Chelsea are unable to continue with their planned stadium.

Right of Light Insurance Strategy

Right of Light Insurance is an important part of your risk management strategy. Some of the issues a policy can cover you for are: legal costs and compensation claims; additional cost of corrective works to your development; the cost of aborting your project; the cost of demolishing your construction; the reduction in market value of your development; and the settlement of a claim against you. In order to protect you and your project from punitive damages, we’ll broker a policy that’s tailor-made to the specifications of your build. And it’s worth knowing that the policy provides cover in perpetuity. So, it will benefit successive owners of the property and their mortgagees. At Construction Insure, we will offer you impartial advice and a no obligation quotation. Because we are independent we can offer the best solutions on the market and because we like to get to know our clients and their needs, you can be sure your policy is tailor made to your requirements.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

" Comparing like with like plus some lower excesses you have managed to save me in excess of £1500 or approximately 15% on my previous insurer. "

- Hew Stevenson, March 2018

" We found you to be more thorough, efficient and reasonably priced than our existing insurer. We would not hesitate in recommending you to anyone."